Soul-searching Over Bush's Proposal

Plan To Fund Religious Groups Spurs Enthusiasm--and Hard Questions

February 09, 2001|By William E. Gibson, Knight Ridder Newspapers.

WASHINGTON — President Bush's plunge into "faith-based" solutions to social problems has generated concerns for Americans who fear the government's power and purse could be used to "Christianize" the nation and break down the wall separating church and state.

At the same time, some see a place for religion in the councils of government. And a public survey indicates that most people think churches, synagogues and local civic groups are more effective than government agencies in solving community problems.

Bush embraced a diverse group of religious leaders last week while promoting his plan to harness faith-based groups to carry out social missions using billions of taxpayer dollars. This approach would add government money to the "thousand points of light" strategy of his father, the elder George Bush, who looked to volunteers and charities rather than government bureaucracies to address community needs.

The younger Bush expanded on this strategy by saying local religious and civic groups have a proven record of effectiveness when working with drug addicts, the poor and homeless, so why not tap their skills, dedication and down-to-earth links to the community.

The president's plan unleashed enthusiasm and also many questions. Will church groups seize this opportunity to proselytize? Will conservative Christians use public money to promote their agenda? Will some conservative do-gooders try to curb abortion rights, spurn non-believers or deny services to gays and lesbians?

The overriding question, which will be debated extensively when Congress considers Bush's proposal, is whether faith-based initiatives would violate constitutional principles and lead to discrimination.

"President Bush has done more in his first two weeks in office to erode the separation of church and state than any president in memory," Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), said last week. "His program would lead to one thing only, and that is government-sponsored proselytizing.

Other Democrats, including last year's vice presidential candidate, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), took a more benign view of Bush's plan.

"President Bush has issued a commendable call to conscience today, challenging our nation and our government to do better in harnessing the constructive force of religious and civic organizations to help us solve our most pressing societal problems," said Lieberman, who accompanied Bush at an unveiling ceremony for the faith-based initiative.

Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew who thinks that government action should be tempered with moral values, said he was "optimistic that we can strike the right balance of inclusion and harness the best forces of faith in our public life without infringing on the 1st Amendment and without excluding those of different beliefs."

Bush also tried to reassure those concerned about separating church from state by saying the government will fund the social missions of these groups, not their religious missions.

"But when people of faith provide social services, we will not discriminate against them," said Bush, who gave up drinking and became a born-again Christian at age 40.

Public opinion surveys have shown a rising distrust of government, especially the federal government, since the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal of the early 1970s. Support for big institutions of all kinds has faded since the 1930s and '40s, when the federal government helped millions survive the Great Depression, created lasting programs like Social Security and fought fascism in World War II.

"People used to believe in the federal government, and for whatever reason have ceased to do so in thinking of it as a way to address local problems," said Dwight Morris, president of the Campaign Study Group, a consulting group that conducts public surveys.

His group asked 1,830 adults in October to name the main problem-solvers in their communities. Local police topped the list, followed by churches, synagogues and mosques, and non-profit groups such as the Salvation Army. Local government came in fifth in the survey. The federal government was 14th on the list, followed only by labor unions.

"African-Americans were much more likely to place the federal government high on the list," he said. "Given the role the government played in protecting civil rights, that makes a lot of sense."

Local activists, many of them organized in religious or civic groups, have taken up the mission of helping the poor, confronting drug addiction, housing the homeless and sustaining the needy.

Church-based groups already dispense public money to provide social services. For example, in Florida, the Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service of South Palm Beach County is a Medicare provider, arranging mental health care and home-care services for the elderly. The government reimburses costs.